DW BUREAU / shimla Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena presided over the State Level Special Task Force meeting held here today. Various issues related to elimination of identified Single-Use Plastics (SUP) in the state were discussed during the meeting. Prabodh Saxena said that the state level Comprehensive Action Plan has been prepared to implement Plastic Waste Management Rules to eliminate SUP in the state. He urged all the departments to work in a campaign mode to sensitize the people about the SUP. He further directed the Urban Development and other concerned departments to increase field inspections and to take strict action against the use of SUP. The Chief Secretary said that there should be a special check at the border areas. He said that all the deputy commissioners in their respective district should effectively implement the plan. Apart from data collection and monitoring, stress should be laid on awareness generation and capacity building, he added. Proper action should also be taken for reducing/elimination of single use plastic items in the government offices, PSUs and other organizations, he said. Enforcement of ban imposed on the use of identified single use plastic items at District, Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayat level should be ensured, said the Chief Secretary adding that development and promotion of alternatives to prohibit single use plastic items should be ensured by promoting innovations. Director, Environment Science and Technology Lalit Jain apprised about the action taken report on the implementation of the above CAP. He said that in the year 2022 around Rs. 13.50 lac has been collected from challan in different areas of the state. Senior officers of different departments attended the meeting. (editor@dailyworld.in)